News

NFL’s Goodell, Raiders Fans, Say Oakland Raiders Partly To Blame For Stadium Problem

Published

8 years ago

January 15, 2017

The Oakland Raiders Owner Mark Davis, according to reports, is planning to file for relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas. Mr. Davis will do this sometime between now and February 15th. The mainstream media view has been that Davis is taking that action because Oakland “hasn’t done anything” (another popular refrain) in working to build a stadium in Oaktown.

&amp;nbsp;

Well, that’s the mainstream media view, but the truth says otherwise. The truth says that the Oakland Raiders themselves are to blame for not having a new stadium in Oakland. The truth was said by one person, one unexpected source: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

At the Charlotte NFL Spring League Meeting on May 24, 2016, Commissioner Goodell was faced with two questions posed by this blogger and on the matter of the Raiders allegedly not dealing in an honest, good faith way with the City of Oakland (Zennie Abraham’s vlogs from the NFL meeting at Zennie62 on YouTube):

The first one: “I’ve talked to a number of Oakland officials including the mayor as recently as yesterday and they all expressed – and this goes back the last 12 months – concerns that the Raiders are not negotiating with them in a way that they can trust. When I point out to them that the NFL relocation bylaws call for negotiating in good faith, they say they have no confidence in the National Football League’s desire to police that. Can you clarify what’s become, behind closed doors, a very big mess?

Commissioner Goodell said this: “I think this has been a very transparent issue. I spoke to the mayor last night at ten o’clock, so I’m in touch with her. I’ve told her before if there are proposals or solutions that she can identify or that we can help them identify. We have given from an ownership standpoint, another $100 million – a total of $300 million to get a stadium built in Oakland. We believe in that market. I know Mark Davis does, but there has to be a solution that’s developed. It’s not just on us, there’s got to be a cooperative agreement to try to find that solution. It’s been a long time coming, as you know. This isn’t something that started 12 months ago. This has been a long time that we have been seeking a solution in Oakland, and it’s time to get to that, and we will play our part, and I know the Raiders will also.”

I then followed up with this question: “Is it a big concern that Mr. Davis is perhaps playing his own game and not following anybody else? And this has to do with Las Vegas-UNLV President Len Jessup releasing a statement where they went off, meaning the Raiders, to visit them, the city of Oakland had no knowledge of it, the Raiders told the city of Oakland, “we’re not going to meet with you.” They didn’t tell them about Vegas. They said, wait until we’re through with Houston, meaning Los Angeles, then they said wait until we have a new lease agreement signed, which happened on the 27th of April. So there are a number of people, Council members on down, the city attorney’s office, they’re really concerned the Raiders aren’t playing fairly. “

Commissioner Goodell responded with this: “I take a different view on that. The Raiders have been very open on the challenges to get a stadium built. It’s not fair to shift all of that responsibility to the Raiders. They bear some, but public officials, the private sector, the Raiders, the NFL — we all have a responsibility. It’s a shared responsibility. It’s not one for standing there and saying it’s somebody else’s responsibility. We all need to work together to find a solution.”

Note that Goodell admitted the Oakland Raiders “bear some” responsibility for a new stadium not being built in Oakland to date. That statement is unprecedented, because in the case of St. Louis and San Diego, there’s no record of Commissioner Goodell placing any level of blame on the Rams or the Chargers for not having new stadiums in San Diego and in St. Louis.

Now, the Rams are in Los Angeles and the Chargers are headed to LA to join them, eventually, in the same new stadium in Inglewood, California. But, that the Commissioner of The NFL would make a statement that opens to door to casting blame on the Raiders for their problems is unusual to say the least. It would seem to point to the league itself having disagreements with how the Raiders have behaved in Oakland. Indeed, there are a number of fans who point fingers at Davis for what they say has been unnecessarily antagonistic treatment toward them. Moreover, there are many accounts of Davis deliberately trying to upset Raider Nation.

On August 1, 2016, Yahoo’s James Arcellana wrote “Over the weekend Oakland Raiders superfan Dr. Death, who is perhaps most well known for his efforts to try and keep the team in Oakland, was at training camp covering events on social media as he usually does. Among the many tweets and periscope videos sent out was one where he interviews members of the well known Raiders booster club 66th Mob. In that interview, a member of the 66th Mob who goes by Godfather Griz recounted an interaction with Mark Davis earlier in the day…In recounting the interaction, Godfather Griz explained that when he told Mark Davis that a move to Las Vegas would splinter the fan base and he would lose the support of many Oaklanders. According to Griz, the response from Mark Davis was that he would be ok with that.

But Arcellana, perhaps afraid of upsetting the Raiders or because he did not know, left out the part of that encounter that sent Raider Nation into a frenzy, and accused Davis of trying to pick a fight with them and hurt their feelings.

A Periscope video you can see here made by Dr. Death just after the training camp encounter last year, tells a different, and not watered down, story. Godfather Griz explains that Davis walked over to him and the Forever Oakland group, and asked him how things were. Davis reached out to shake Griz hand, but Griz refused and asked him “Are you going to keep the team in Oakland.?” Davis said yes, for the next three years, but after that,” and Griz gave a wave of his hand, as if Davis was saying ‘We’re gone.’ Griz then explained to Davis that he would be dividing the fan base, and that he was not an Oakland Raider. Davis said “I’m OK with that.”

But it didn’t end there. Griz comments that Davis says “that’s good” and Griz responded that it’s not good. Griz’s partner remarked that she said to Davis there would be a lot of fans would be disappointed; Davis said “I don’t care.”

Griz is a season ticket holder who drives from Fresno to see the games and is one of many thousands of passionate fans who make up Raider Nation. For Davis to walk over to him and then make comments that knowingly hurt his feelings and many others in Raider Nation is purely nonsensical.

Davis basically admitted he has no problem alienating a fan base that has given his Raiders organization a season ticket wait list for the first time in its history, and in the same 2016 year that he went to training camp and openly pissed off key members of that same group. He also admitted that he didn’t care if they were upset.

This happened after Commissioner Goodell’s statements, but his comments were referring to the same Raiders owner at the center of why the Raiders “bear some” responsibility for not having a new stadium in Oakland.

Mark Davis does not at all care about the feelings of Oakland Raiders fans with respect to his Las Vegas relocation effort. He has admitted that, and is taking actions that prove that. Davis actions are causing many of his key fans emotional harm. Moreover, Davis may be creating the climate for a lawsuit that could, itself, and separate from any NFL Owner action, keep the Raiders in Oakland.

In the law that’s the concept of “Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress” That is, according to record, “Extreme or outrageous conduct that intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress”. If you listen to Griz’s statements to Dr. Death, Davis conduct was extreme and outrageous, given the idea that as an NFL Owner you don’t want to upset your fan base. Davis stated view that he did not care if he divided or upset Raiders fans was obviously intentional. And it has caused emotional distress: the expression of anger, as Griz has shown, and also by Dr. Death, in a now famous outburst at Raiders Headquarter that featured him screaming at the building, calling for Davis to stop his relocation efforts, and looking (as many have said, including this blogger) like a crazy person. There are many more examples of Raiders fans expressing anger over Davis’ relocation actions.

These are reactions, expressions of emotional distress, that Davis, given his words to Griz, seems to be “Ok” with. While he may be ok with making Raider Nation crazy mad, Davis will discover how wrong his actions really were if fans file an injunction to stop him from taking the Raiders out of Oakland and to Vegas. Given how much evidence Mark Davis has given Oakland Raiders fans to use against him, don’t be surprised if they form a winning legal effort.

Stay tuned.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Glydways Breaking Ground on 14-Acre Demonstration Facility at Hilltop Mall

Glydways has been testing its technology at CCTA’s GoMentum Station in Concord for several years. The company plans to install an ambitious 28-mile Autonomous Transit Network in East Contra Costa County. The new Richmond facility will be strategically positioned near that project, according to Glydways.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Image of planned Richmond facility courtesy of Glydways.

The Richmond Standard

Glydways, developer of microtransit systems using autonomous, small-scale vehicles, is breaking ground on a 14-acre Development and Demonstration Facility at the former Hilltop Mall property in Richmond, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) reported on social media.

Glydways, which released a statement announcing the project Monday, is using the site while the mall property undergoes a larger redevelopment.

“In the interim, Glydways will use a portion of the property to showcase its technology and conduct safety and reliability testing,” the company said.

The new Richmond development hub will include “over a mile of dedicated test track, enabling Glydways to refine its solutions in a controlled environment while simulating real-world conditions,” the company said.

Visitors to the facility will be able to experience on-demand travel, explore the control center and visit a showroom featuring virtual reality demonstrations of Glydways projects worldwide.

The hub will also house a 13,000-square-foot maintenance and storage facility to service the growing fleet of Glydcars.

“With this new facility [at the former Hilltop Mall property], we’re giving the public a glimpse of the future, where people can experience ultra-quiet, on-demand transit—just like hailing a rideshare, but with the reliability and affordability of public transit,” said Tim Haile, executive director of CCTA.

Janet Galvez, vice president and investment officer at Prologis, owner of the Hilltop Mall property, said her company is “thrilled” to provide space for Glydways and is continuing to work with the city on future redevelopment plans for the broader mall property.

Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl added that Glydways’ presence “will not only help test new transit solutions but also activate the former Mall site while preparation and finalization of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan is underway.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Last City Council Meeting of the Year Ends on Sour Note with Big Budget Cuts

In a five to one vote, with Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Janani Ramachandran excused, the council passed a plan aimed at balancing the $130 million deficit the city is facing. Noel Gallo voted against the plan, previously citing concerns over public safety cuts, while Nikki Fortunato-Bas, Treva Reid, Rebecca Kaplan, Kevin Jenkins, and Dan Kalb voted in agreement with the plan.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland City Council voted on a plan to balance the $130 million deficit at their last regular meeting of 2024. The plan reduces police spending by $25 million, temporarily closes two fire stations, and guts the cultural arts programs. iStock photo.

By Magaly Muñoz

In the last lengthy Tuesday meeting of the Oakland City Council for 2024, residents expressed strong opposition to the much needed budget cuts before a change in leadership was finalized with the certification of election results.

Oakland police and fire departments, the ambassador program, and city arts and culture will all see significant cuts over the course of two phases.

Phase 1 will eliminate two police academies, brown out two fire stations, eliminate the ambassador program, and reduce police overtime by nearly $25 million. These, with several other cuts across departments, aim to save the city $60 million. In addition, the council simultaneously approved to transfer restricted funds into its general purpose fund, amounting to over $40 million.

Phase 2 includes additional fire station brownouts and the elimination of 91 jobs, aiming to recover almost $16 million in order to balance the rest of the budget.

Several organizations and residents spoke out at the meeting in hopes of swaying the council to not make cuts to their programs.

East Oakland Senior Center volunteers and members, and homeless advocates, filled the plaza just outside of City Hall with rallies to show their disapproval of the new budget plan. Senior residents told the council to “remember that you’ll get old too” and that disturbing their resources will only bring problems for an already struggling community.

While city staff announced that there would not be complete cuts to senior center facilities, there would be significant reductions to staff and possibly inter-program services down the line.

Exiting council member and interim mayor Bas told the public that she is still hopeful that the one-time $125 million Coliseum sale deal will proceed in the near future so that the city would not have to continue with drastic cuts. The deal was intended to save the city for fiscal year 2024-25, but a hold up at the county level has paused any progress and therefore millions of dollars in funds Oakland desperately needs.

The Coliseum sale has been a contentious one. Residents and city leaders were originally against using the deal as a way to balance the budget, citing doubts about the sellers, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group’s (AASEG), ability to complete the deal. Council members Reid, Ramachandran, and Gallo have called several emergency meetings to understand where the first installments of the sale are, with little to no answers.

Bas added that as the new Alameda County Supervisor for D5, a position she starts in a few weeks, she will do everything in her power to push the Coliseum sale along.

The city is also considering a sales tax measure to put on the special election ballot on April 15, 2025, which will also serve as an election to fill the now vacant D2 and mayor positions. The tax increase would raise approximately $29 million annually for Oakland, allowing the city to gain much-needed revenue for the next two-year budget.

The council will discuss the possible sales tax measure on January 9.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Living His Legacy: The Late Oscar Wright’s “Village” Vows to Inherit Activist’s Commitment to Education

Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO), a nonprofit organization that works to improve educational and life outcomes for Black boys and men, stated that “Oscar Wright is one of the most prolific, consistent, and committed advocates of equity for Black students and Black Families here in Oakland for the past six decades.”

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oscar Carl Wright, 101, who passed away on Nov. 18, was still involved in Oakland’s educational affairs until his death.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

Activists mourning Oscar Carl Wright’s death, have pledged to continue his lifelong mission of advocating for Black students and families in Northern California.

Wright, 101, who passed away on Nov. 18, was involved in Oakland’s educational affairs until his death.

Now, friends and admirers acknowledge that carrying on his legacy means doubling down on the unfinished work that Wright dedicated his life, time, and resources to, according to Y’Anad Burrell, a family friend and founder of San Francisco-based Glass House Communications (GHC).

“Mr. Wright did a lot of work around equity, specifically, for Black students based on their needs — whether it was tutoring, passing classes, or graduating,” Burrell said.

Wright became a champion for his children’s education, recognizing the disparities between their school experiences and his own upbringing in the Mississippi Delta.

Burrell told California Black Media (CBM) that the crisis of unequal access to resources and a quality education continues to affect the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).

According to Oakland Reach, in the city of Oakland, only 3 in 10 Black and Brown students are reading at or above grade level. In addition, only 1 in 10 are doing math at or above grade level.

Oakland REACH is a parent-run, parent-led organization. It aims to empowers families from the most underserved communities to demand high-quality schools for their children.

Wright’s work as an activist had impact across the state but he was primarily known in the Bay Area. Alongside the Black United Front for Educational Reform (BUFER), he filed a complaint against OUSD for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 2000, the OUSD school board proposed an action plan to address educational inequity, but it was never implemented.

Wright later founded the African American Honor Roll Celebration at Acts Full Gospel Church, an award that recognizes Black students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.  Each year, more than 1,000 students are honored at this ceremony.

Burrell said that one of the main reasons Wright’s work was so essential for families and children in Oakland that is the direct relationship between acquiring a quality education and affording quality housing, maintaining food security, achieving mental wellness, and securing stable employment.

Wright was the child of sharecroppers from Coahoma County, Mississippi. He attended Alcorn State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

In the late 1950s, Wright and his family relocated to the Bay Area where he worked as a contractor and civil engineer. He later became an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Burrell said the people who will carry on Wright’s work are part of a “village” that includes KOO’s CEO Chris Chatmon.  Wright was a mentor to Chatmon.

“It will not be one entity, one person, or one organization that picks up the baton because it was a village effort that worked alongside Mr. Wright for all these years,” Burrell said.

Burell says that legacy will live on.